After listening to about two dozen people at a special public hearing praise the hospital and its staff, the Sarasota County Public Hospital Board voted to keep it a nonprofit, tax-supported institution.

Nonprofit hospitals were required by a state law, signed by Gov. Rick Scott in 2012, to justify remaining public or come up with a list of possible buyers. They also had to hire an outside firm to assess the hospital's fair market value.

Scott, formerly the head of the large, for-profit Columbia-HCA hospital chain, says he believes tax-supported hospitals have an unfair advantage in the marketplace and waste taxpayer money.

William Woeltjen, Sarasota Memorial's chief financial officer, presented data showing that the hospital's cost efficiency is comparable to similar for-profit and not-for-profit facilities.

“Sarasota Memorial Hospital has maintained high service levels while reducing the tax burden on this community,” he said.

The hospital also presented data on the high numbers of indigent patients served, its decreasing reliance on tax revenue, its high scores on patient satisfaction measures and its efficient handling of tax dollars and more.

The audience didn't need the pie charts and graphs to convince them.

Ana Gonzalez appeared with her mother, Enith, to tell the board that the staff brought her back to life and treated her as family after she was in a coma for four months following a car accident.

“The reason I'm here is to thank you,” said Ana Gonzalez. “How could I not come?”

Several speakers blasted Scott for putting politics before patient care.

“Our governor is the elephant in the room here,” said Marlene Resnick, to applause from the packed auditorium.